| Show it takes a heap hea p 0 aussin to make a hall into a home for major political parties national I 1 conventions GOP G OP and democrats work harmoniously on arrangements by AL JEDLICKA relented ne leased by we western ibern newspaper union amid buzz and bedlam color and decoration and teeming thousands with their tingling enthusiasm thusia sm america holds its great political conventions every ever y four years As convention delegates fuss and fume through the lengthy historic sessions millions of americans throughout the nation follow the proceedings ce with attention an and d even heat 11 eat since either the republican or the democratic party embodies the principles they hold most consistent with their social ideals during the period of the conventions well might it be said that the heart of the nation is centered in the he localities of the meetings bounding with the peoples delegates with newspaper pen men newsreel men and radio broadcasters milling to flash stories of the unfolding events to an anxious citizenry and with visitors attracted by the great spectacles normally cities compete to have the conventions held in their localities since the delegates and visitors expenditures for hotel accommodations food and entertainment and shopping in the business districts amount to hundreds of thousands of dollars but with the country riding the crest of a profitable war boom this year with housing facilities taxed and heavy demands made for limited stocks of merchandise only chicago actively bid for the conventions offering each party for expenses ordinarily it costs between and to run a national convention when both parties accepted chi cagos bids financial problems thus were added to other special wartime difficulties confronting republican walter hallanan of charleston W va and democrat ambrose oconnell of new york in in mak making ing arrangements for the th e conventions on these two men falls the responsibility of setting up the smooth functioning of the meetings assuring orderly activity on the floor of the conventions vent ions and establishing facilities for quick transmission of news to the waiting world outside two old timers both 0 oconnell connell and hallanan are old hands at conventions 0 oconnell connell having attended his first as aa a member of al smiths entourage in 1928 and Ha hallanan lanan his as a newspaper man in 1912 although red hot partisans inclined to admit nothing both men have worked together in making the principal arrangements since since the republican convention of june 26 will be followed by the democratic on july 19 because of the heavy wartime strain on the railroads transportation posed one of the big problems of this years conventions but the problem promises to be solved by use of day coaches by those within 6 hours of traveling time of chi ago and of provision of extra sleeping and dining cars for accredited representatives from farther distances to assist delegates from hawaii to attend the navy will furnish plane service to the m mainland ain I 1 next to transportation housing has presented another major difficulty although both parties were assured of approximately 5 rooms the republicans for one could use another in quest of extra housing hallanan has even scoured chicago Chi cagos outlying apart 4 P 1 I nt districts for accommodations arid and it was reported that some good republicans offered to come to the jiin by boarding convention attendants As it if oconnell and hallanan were not having trouble enough they have been pestered for accommodations by that type ot of individual who feels that no business is so important as that of finding a particular room for him even though all hotel arrangements are to be made by the head of the state delegation plenty of problems preparation of Chi cagos huge streamlined stadium for this years conventions has not been without its problems either until the citizens committee which bid to bring the conventions to chicago arranged to furnish the stadium for to each party hallanan estimated that the cost of readying the amphitheater alone would amount to not including rental the services of over men working about three weeks are demanded for preparing the stadium canopies Cano pies outside the main entrances must be draped with bunting one hundred and twenty flags must be hung from the rafters to sway impressively above the floor three emergency hospitals must bo be set up and equipped with medical goods light and water A huge platform holding people must be constructed with a special conference room underneath it and of course seats enclosed within stanchions tor for the different state delegations must be put up elaborate preparations must be made to accommodate the press h newsreel and radio especially this year when the two conventions will attract international attention already reservations have been asked by newspaper representatives from britain russia south america china pa sweden and french africa and in in all about observers with their technicians will be on the job to describe the proceedings to the U S and world not only will the press be seated in front of the main platform but a special newsroom will be provided in the basement at both places telephone and telegraph facilities must be established to send out stories ries from the building darkrooms Dar krooms will be constructed for photographers to develop pictures microphones E everywhere very where important for transmitting the acu atal al reality of the convention atmosphere to the world all four of americas great radio networks will make elaborate arrangements for covering every detail of the conventions contact will be made with delegations through microphones on the floor portable equipment will be used to interview dignitaries throughout the entire building special booths will be erected to accommodate tile the radio commentators and facilities will be installed to pick up tip the rumbling rolling peal of the huge stadium organ orga n approximately will be spent by the parties to furnish newsreel men with enough lighting to take moving pictures of the proceedings with watt incandescent searchlight units set up enough light to illuminate illum nate a medium size town will bo be provided cameramen shooting from the high rafters this lighting must be arranged to permit shooting from any angle of the building without causing blind spots from too much light on any one point in making a success of a convention the little things are as important as the big ones and sometimes the little things cause as much bother as the big ones for instance oconnell and hallanan have had their difficulties providing badges and tickets because of wartime metals have been unavailable for badges and it has been necessary to secure plastic material to convention wise ambrose 01 connell there is more to badges than meets the eye for instance they must be so designed as to avoid catching onto clothing and ripping it and all kinds of different types must be used to restrict the movements ments of the various attendants attendant throughout the stadium tickets a headache too also because of wartime there has been a scarcity of certain paper stocks a condition of particular pique to bustling walter hallanan since it is necessary to print tickets on material that cannot easily be counterfeited incidentally in the distribution ot of tickets to the conventions each delegation is allotted a percentage usually depending upon the approximate distance of its state from the meeting site the idea of course being to provide more seats for those who might bo be able to come in by auto etc from neighboring regions civic committees which put up u p the finances to bring the conven tion to their cities also receive an allotment of ducats dubats unique in that this years conventions vent ions will be the second in the history of this country held during wartime the first being in 1864 the impending republican and democratic meetings are expected to lack some of the flourish and hoopla of bygone days however they are not expected to be bereft of oil all popular enthusiasm so easily stirred over a candidate or over the expression of a bartys outstanding principle stressing the hopes the aspirations and the achievements of its partisans in their excitement over over the swift stream of dramatic events often aa accompanying compa nying conventions even the soberest politicians and statesmen sometimes forget their immediate environment and lapse into what afterthought er must characterize as the comic for instance during the 1932 democratic convention in chicago oconnell remembers the heated fight over the election of a permanent chairman which would have demonstrated the strength of the contending factions As the fight developed the mississippi delegation caucused caucuses caucus ed only to fla aln venerable old senator pat harrison absent without further ado some members hurried off to hia hotel and after pressing the urgency of the situation upon hini him hustled him back to the convention hall in his pajamas carpet slippers and bathrobe there to cast his vote As hallanan said this tin s years conventions vent ions will be marked by tile the sober saber restraint of a nation at war once events have stirred up the attendants tend ants the enthusiasm may carry over into the typical hysteria of these great national nati meetings P 14 dozens of workmen are preparing tile huge chicago stadium for the conventions upper left is pictured walter hallanan chairman of tile te publican committee on arrange ments and lower right ambrose oconnell democratic chairman |
